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Panel Recommends Steps To Battle Heroin Abuse
By: Associated Press
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Treating heroin use as a public health threat and educating people about its dangers are among the recommendations of a panel in northeast Ohio.
A daylong summit in November on the heroin epidemic in the region led to the community action plan with the recommendations, which also include pushing for legislation to help battle the problem and stricter guidelines for prescribing of opiate painkillers – which often lead to heroin use.
The Akron Beacon Journal reports that other recommendations include educating medical providers about heroin abuse, funding programs to fight it, and focusing law enforcement efforts on addiction intervention.
Heroin addicts are flooding detox centers, rehab facilities and jails in Ohio. Many people try it after getting hooked on painkillers, which have become harder to get.